Rail transportation switching system



Dec. 12, 1961 w. GALE RAIL TRANSPORTATION SWITCHING SYSTEM 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1958 M r I .n w

Dec. 12, 1961 w. GALE 3,012,517

RAIL TRANSPORTATION SWITCHING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet2 IINVENTOR. M27? 50: fczze l i .5 BY VMZM,W #M

United States Patent 3,012,517 RAIL TRANSPORTATION SWITCHING SYSTEMWinsor Gale, Barretts Mill Road, Concord, Mass. Filed Oct. 2.9, 1958,Ser. No. 770,558 11 Claims. (Cl. 10428) This invention relates to railtransportation and more particularly to switching systems for railmounted conveyances.

In recent years, and especially in connection with the search by cityplanners for a solution to the problem of traflic-clogged city streets,there has been considerable experimentation with rapid transit systemsusing large numbers of cars, each car being designed to carry only a fewpassengers at a time. Such a system would have among its advantagesthose of efiiciency, speed, low maintenance cost and attractiveness topassengers.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a structure forswitching the cars of such a system from one set of rails to another. Itis another object of my invention to provide a structure whereby thecars of such a system can, at the discretion of their passengers, stopat stations or pass around them. It is an additional object of myinvention to provide a structure whereby rapidly moving cars in atransportation system can be selected from this rapidly moving stream oftraffic and diverted to a station for loading and unloading.

In the accomplishment of these and other objects of my invention, in apreferred embodiment thereof, I employ a track layout in which the maintracks, as they approach a station, are parallel to and verticallyincreasingly separated from, a second set of wider gauge tracks, the tworails of the second set being positioned outside of the rails formingthe main track. While the main track proceeds to the station, the secondsetof rails by-passes the station and then returns to the samehorizontal plane as the main track. The cars which I employ in mytransportation system have a first set of wheels of a gauge suitable forriding the main track and a second set of wheels coaxial with, andnormally positioned adjacent to the outer surface of their first set.Connected with this second set of Wheels are means for retractablyextending them in a lateral direction, which means are operable frominside the car by its passengers.

In passing over my system cars normally stop at each station. If,however, no passenger desires to stop at a particular station one of thepassengers actuates a handle causing the second set of wheels to extendlaterally such that when the car passes the switching point it iscarried around the station on its second set of wheels thereafterreturning to the main track. When passengers do not elect to pass arounda station a car may pass to and through a station either completely ontrack or on a system combining track and conveyor belts.

These and other objects and features of my invention will best beunderstood and appreciated from the following description of a preferredembodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the switching system of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same system.

FIG. 3 is'a schematic plan view of a possible track and conveyor beltlayout used to carry cars to and through stations. i I

FIG. 4 is a top view of the mechanism of my invention used toextendlaterally'a second set of wheels on the cars used in myrail'trarlsportation switching system.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the same mechanism showing the handle andlinkage used toactuate the second set of wheels.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention herein shown, I employ a carindicated generally at 12 adapted to ride on a set of main track rails11 which extend generally in a level path and descend at a switchingpoint 18 to a station 13 while a second set of wider gauge rails 14continue on this level path of track rails 11. Soon after the main trackrails 11 begin their descent they overlay a conveyor belt 15, at whichpoint they terminate. The system continues in the station area by meansof progressively decelerating and accelerating conveyor belts 15, 16 and17 through the station 13 and back to a point 19 where main track rails11 again rise to the level of the second set of wider gauge rails 14 andfrom that point continue on to other stations having similar switchingpoints. FIG. 3 shows schematically a possible station layout.

In the preferred embodiment of the car 12 designed for use in my systemI employ the mechanism shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 operated by actuatingrails 29 which paral' 'lel the second set of wider gauge rails 14 ateach switching point. In operation, should no passenger desire to stopat a station. One of their number actuates a handle, suggestedschematically at 21. The handle 21 is disposed in the car 12 in suchfashion that movement of the handle 21 will actuate pawls 23 hereinafterdescribed.

One method of actuating the pawls 23 is shown in FIG. 5 wherein thehandle 21 is mounted for movement transverse to the car 12 and rails 11.Curved slots 21a are provided through the handle 21 to engage upstandingpins 215 positioned in suitable extension members 21c attached to theend of linkage rods 22. The curved slots 21a are positioned such thatmovement of the handle 21 causes axial movement of the linkage rods 22.The other ends of the linkage rods 22 are connected to pawls 23 pivotedon arms 24 carrying roller ends 25 positioned to engage actuating rails20. As the roller ends 25 of actuating arms 24 contact the actuatingrails 20, arms 24 are pivoted inwardly causing pawls 23 to exertpressure at notches 27 on forward bell cranks 28 causing them to rotateon pivots 26. Arms 29 of the said forward bell cranks 28 are connectedto arms 30 of rear bell cranks 31 by means of connecting rods 33 so thatrotation of forward bell cranks 28 as described above causes parallelmovement of the rear bell cranks 31. Arms 32 of forward bell cranks 28and arms 34 of rear bell cranks 31 are slidably connected to collars 35attached to axles 36 of second set of wheels 37. Collars 35 are keyed onto axles 36 so as to prevent any lateral motion of axles 36 withoutcorresponding lateral motion of collars 35. Thus as both forward andrear bell cranks 28 and 31 rotate as above described, linkage 38 permitscollars 35 to move laterally outward thus moving axles 36 and second setof wheels 37 laterally outward into position for engaging second set ofrails 14 which carry the car around that station.

Actuating rail 20 continues until outer flanges 43 of second set ofwheels 37 engage the outer edges of second set of rails 14. When themain set of tracks Home again rise and run parallel between second setof rails 14, second set of wheels 37, by means of springs 40, return toa position adjacent to the first set of wheels'39. This position isshown by the dotted lines in FIG. 4. Spring means 41 anchored to theframe of the car, return actuating arms 24 to their original positionand springs 42 return pawls 23 to positions such-that they will notcontact notches 27 unless a passenger actuates handle 21. I p

It .will be apparent to those skilled in the art that pawls 23 may beactuated by direct mechanical means as suggested by handle 21 andlinkage 22 or by any suit able electrical or hydraulic means. t

In another embodiment of my invention I locate my transfer rail abovethe cars as they pass through the switching points. Positioned on thetop of each car are a second set of driving wheels which at the will ofany passenger, can be caused to raise up and thereby engage the transferrails. As a car, with its wheels engaging the transfer rails, passesthrough a switching point either the transfer rails rise or the maintrack lowers sutficiently to permit the car to run in the desireddirection on the transfer rails.

Certain minor variations of this preferred embodiment of my inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, it may bethought desirable for the stations to be located along the wider gaugeset of rails while the main set of tracks act as the through line.Therefore, it is not my intention to confine the invention to theprecise form herein shown, but rather to limit it in terms of theappended claims.

Having thus described and disclosed a preferred embodiment of myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. Mechanism for switching a rail-mounted car from a main set of railsto a second set of rails at a predetermined switching point comprising aset of flanged wheels capable of being caused to extend laterally fromthe sides of said car as it approaches said predetermined switchingpoint, said set of wheels at said switching point engaging said secondset of rails; said second set of rails being of a wider gauge than saidmain set of rails and each rail of said second set being outside saidmain set, said main set descending below the level of said second set insuch a manner as to leave said car running along said second wider gaugeset, of rails on said laterally extended second set of Wheels.

2. Mechanism for switching a rail mounted car from a main set of railsto a second set of rails at a predetermined switching point comprising aset of flanged transfer wheels capable of being caused to extendlaterally from the sides of said car as it approaches said predeterminedswitching point, said transfer wheels at said switching point engagingsaid second set of rails; said second set of rails being of a widergauge than said main set of rails and said second wider gauge railsrunning on either outer side of said main set; said second set ascendingabove the level of said main set in such a manner as to leave said carrunning along said second wider gauge set of rails on said laterallyextended transfer wheels.

3. A switching structure for transferring rail mounted cars comprising afirst set of rails, a switching point, a second set of rails originallypositioned parallel to said first set of raiis at said switching point,then diverging vertically from said first set of rails, then runningwherever said car is to be transferred, cars designed for running on afirst set of driving wheels on said first set of rails, a second set ofdriving wheels positioned on said cars, means for causing said secondset of driving wheels. to engage said second set of rails at saidswitching point whereby said cars are carried away from said first setof rails on said second set of rails.

4. A structure for transferring rail mounted cars from a first set ofrails to a second set of rails comprising a set of transfer Wheels onsaid car, said second set of rails originally positioned parallel tosaidfirstset of rails, then diverging vertically from said first setofrails, then running wherever said car is to be transferred, and meansoperative when, said car is in motion for positioning said set oftransfer wheels to engage said second set of rails to transfer said carfrom said first set of rails to said second set of rails.

5. The switching structure defined in claim 4 further characterized bysaid means for causing said transfer wheels to engage said, second setof rails comprising mechanism for causing said transfer wheels to extendoutwardly from the sides of said, cars such that said transfer wheelsreleasably engage, said second set of rails running parallel to andoutside said first set of rails.

6. A device for transferring rail mounted cars from a first set of railsto a second set of rails said first set of rails being spacedlongitudinally of said second set of rails comprising a set of transferwheels which releasably engage a set of transfer rails, said set oftransfer rails being of a wider gauge than said first and second setsand originally positioned parallel to said first set of rails, thendiverging vertically from said first set of rails, then running to saidsecond set of rails, then converging vertically with said second set ofrails to parallel said said second set of rails.

7. A mechanism for transferring a rail mounted car off a first set ofmain rails and onto a second set of main rails said first set of mainrails being spaced longitudinally of said second set of main railscomprising a set of transfer rails of a wider gauge than that of saidmain sets and originally positioned parallel to said first main set ofrails, then diverging vertically from said first main set of rails, thenrunning to and converging with said second set of main rails, a set oftransfer wheels attached to said car, means for releasably extendingsaid transfer wheels laterally to a distance such that said wheels arein a position to engage said wider gauge transfer rails whereby said carmay be switched from said first set of main rails to said transfer railsand then to said second set of main rails.

8. In a transportation system, switching apparatus whereby a car mayby-pass a station adjacent a main set of rails comprising self-propelledcars, driving wheels on said cars to transport said cars on said mainrails, transfer wheels on said cars, transfer rails on which saidtransfer wheels transport said cars, said transfer rails originallypositioned parallel to said main rails prior to said station, thendiverging vertically from said main rails, then converging with saidmain rails subsequent to said station to lift said cars and said drivingwheels of said cars out of contact with said main rails whereby saidcars are placed upon, removed from, and shifted from one portion toanother of said main rails to by-pass said station, means for causingsaid transfer wheels to engage or not to engage with said transferrails, and conveyor belts positioned on path of said transfer rails toaccelerate and decelerate said cars by lifting said cars and saidtransfer wheels on said cars out of contact with said transfer rails.

9. In a transportation system, switching apparatus whereby a car mayby-pass a station adjacent a main set of rails comprising self-propelledcars; driving wheels on said cars; transfer wheels on said cars, mainrails on which the driving wheels transport said cars; transfer rails onwhich said transfer wheels transport said cars, said transfer railsoriginally positioned parallel to said main rails prior to said stationthen diverging vertically from said main rails, then converging withsaid main rails subsequent to said station to lift said cars and saiddriving wheels of said cars out of contact with said main rails, wherebysaid cars are placed upon, removed from, and shifted from one portion toanother of said main rails to by-pass said station; means for causingsaid transfer wheels to take an engaging position in which they willengage with said transfer rails and a non-engaging position in whichthey will avoid engaging with said transfer rails; and controllablemeans for actuating said transfer wheels into and out of each saidengaging and said non-engaging position.

10. In a transportation system, switching apparatus whereby'a car mayby-pass a station adjacent a main set of rails comprising self-propelledcars; driving wheels on said cars; transfer wheels on said cars; mainrails on which said driving wheels transport said cars; transfer railson which said, transfer wheels transport said cars, said transfer railsoriginally positioned parallel to said main rails prior to, said stationthen diverging vertically from said main rails, then converging withsaid main rails subse- 5 quent to said station to lift said cars andsaid driving wheels of said cars out of contact with said main railswhereby said cars are placed upon, removed from, and shifted from oneportion to another of said main rails to by-pass said station; means forcausing said transfer wheels to take an engaging position in which theyare engaged with said transfer rails and a non-engaging position inwhich they will avoid engaging with said transfer rails; actuating railson path of said car of said transfer rails; controllable means on saidtransfer wheels whereby contact with said actuating rails will causesaid transfer wheels to take either an engaging or a non-engagingposition.

11. In a rail transportation system a switching system comprisingcontrollable means for switching at a predetermined point individualcars from a main set of rails for loading or unloading as desired toconveyor belt means for carrying said cars away from and back to saidmain set of rails; and controllable means on said cars for passingReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 9,329'McElfatrick Oct. 12, 1852 210,051 Post Nov. 19, 1878 765,211 ThompsonJuly 19, 1904 898,008 Sayer Sept. 8, 1908 929,440 Ilifi' July 27, 19091,656,589 Kruckenberg et al Jan. 17, 1928 1,805,266 Traver May 12, 19312,197,375 Dafnis Apr. 16, 1940 2,720,324 Cosentino Oct. 11, 19552,832,298 Ambli Apr. 29, 1958

